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POLITICO 44

In its waning days, the South Carolina Republican governor’s race—once filled with sex allegations, lie detectors and a missing tape of a lawmaker’s ethnic slur—has surprised everyone: it’s become boring.

Rising national GOP star Nikki Haley, who won nearly half her party’s votes after beating back two separate allegations of extramarital affairs, debated Rep. Gresham Barrett Thursday night in the only scheduled televised debate of their two-week runoff.

But unlike the last debate, when she accused other candidates of playing dirty politics and advancing stories against her and drew a challenge from Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer to take a polygraph test, this one was more familiar.

With few fireworks to draw new attention and change voters’ minds, Barrett faces a steep uphill climb. He won 22 percent of the vote, less than half of Haley’s 49 percent.

The debate made it clear that Haley has reached heights that Barrett is unlikely to top—the moderators asked Haley if support from former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney meant she would accept an offer to be his running mate in an eventual presidential election.

“No,” Haley said. “These positive distractions…while they’re flattering, that’s just not what Michael and I are talking about,” she said.

Most of the questions were directed at both candidates. Not that one.

“Well, I thought you were going to ask me about Fred Thompson!” Barrett joked in response to the next question, about his legislative accomplishments in the U.S. House. “You know, because I would be a vice presidential thing, but I’m scrapping and clawing to make a gubernatorial run here.”

The debate did skirt some of the campaign’s hot-button issues, including diversity and Haley’s religion. She is a baptized Methodist who was raised by Sikh parents.

In recent days, prominent national conservatives have accused the Barrett camp of trying to push stories questioning the depth of Haley’s faith.

“It’s who I am it’s what I am as a person. It drives my every decision. It drives the way I live, it drives the way,” Barrett said during the debate when he was asked how being a Christian would influence him as governor. “There are absolutes. Things are not shades of grey, there are absolutes in our life, and there are ten of them if you want to be exact.”

Haley was asked to explain the Sikh religion to viewers in South Carolina who might not be familiar with the faith. “I am very proud of my parents and very proud of the way they raised me and I don’t want to say anything against them or against my religious faith,” Haley said.

The candidates were also pressed on why their campaign ads did not include many minority faces considering the GOP’s recent focus on reaching out to a more diverse set of voters.

“You’re looking at a minority female,” Haley said.

“We can all make more sensitive, and we should be,” Barrett replied.

Whoever wins the June 22 runoff will face Democratic state Sen. Vincent Sheheen in November—and the election promises to retain classic South Carolina intrigue, even if it’s not in the governor’s race. The South Carolina Democratic Party also met Thursday night and upheld the primary election of Alvin Greene, an unemployed veteran who spent almost no money and barely campaigned, who will run against Republican Sen. Jim DeMint in November.

Wesley Donehue, the political consultant who hosts the Pub Politics show where state Sen. Jake Knotts referred to Haley as a “raghead,” has already promised to print t-shirts with the slogan “Greene Sheheen.”

Readers' Comments (4)

Barrett says he is a Christian but his answer is not indicative of one who has a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. You can believe and live by the Ten Commandments but that does not make you a Christian. One must repent, turn from sin, seek God's forgiveness and accept His Son, Jesus Christ, into his or her heart to become a Christian. So many have a head knowledge but have not moved the 12 inches from head knowledge to having a personal heart relationship with Jesus.

Haley will have an easy time against Barrett who is playing it cool as he really has nothing to lose here. So what if he has to go back to Washington "to serve".

Romney vs Palin support. Who risked the most political capital to support Haley? When Haley was all alone facing the unsupported infidelity charges who stood by her? Can't recall hearing a bleep from Romney.

In my mind Romney is supporting the sure thing at this point and Haley would easlily win without him. Romney is simply playing the political game in hope of a Haley endorsement when the 2012 noise starts.